The CHIMES
V Phone:
540-434-3496 V Fax:
540-574-4023E-mail address: Muhlenberg@rica.net
V Website: http://home.rica.net/Muhlenberg
December 24, 2006
The Fourth
Sunday of Advent
Selected
I think we
all sin
by needlessly disobeying
the apostolic injunction to "rejoice"
as much as by anything else.
C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain
In a sense, that's what a sermon is for:
to hang the holy possible in front of the mind of the listeners and lead them
to that wonderful moment when they say, "If it were true, it would
do." To pass from that to belief is the work of the Holy Spirit, not of
the preacher or the teacher.
Joseph Sittler
Luther Quote of the Day
One should honor Mary as she
herself wished and as she expressed it in the Magnificat. She praised God for
his deeds. How then can we praise her? The true honor of Mary is the honor of
God, the praise of God's grace . . . Mary is nothing for the sake of herself,
but for the sake of Christ . . . Mary does not wish that we come to her, but
through her to God.
Sunday,
December 24
4th Sunday in Advent Services:
8:00, 9:30 and 11:00 a.m.
Christmas
Eve Services: We offer three services to sing out the Savior’s
birth:
6:00
p.m. – Christmas Eve Liturgy of Holy
Communion with children’s procession and participation
8:00
p.m. – Festival Service of Holy
Communion
11:00
p.m. – Festival Service of Holy
Communion
Monday, December 25
Christmas Day Service
4:00 p.m. – Holy Communion
Wednesday, December 27
12:00 Noon – Holy Communion
Friday, January 5
Epiphany Eve Service and 12th Night
Celebration
Financial
News
2007 Offering Envelopes
Your
offering envelopes have been mailed and you should be receiving them within the
next week. Please do not use them until 2007.
It will also be very helpful if you would write your name on the
envelopes for a few weeks to be sure everything is posted correctly. Thank you.
Capital Campaign
Special Giving
There are special offering envelopes in the pews
throughout Advent for a year-end gift towards the building of the new Gathering
Area. If God has so blessed you, please
prayerfully consider making a special gift.
Thank
You
Dear Muhlenberg Family,
We want to thank everyone for your outpouring of
affection and for all the many remembrances you have given to us. We are blessed to be part of the faithful
Muhlenberg family. May our ministry
together continue to be a blessing for all.
Thank you and God’s blessings on each of you,
Pastor Dave+, Pastor Joe+,
Don, Diane & Linda
The
weekly deadline for
is 8:00 a.m. Thursday.
Flower Chart Posted
The 2007 Flower Chart to provide flowers for the Altar
for Sunday Worship Services has been posted in the hallway across from the
church office. This year, two families will have the opportunity to donate flowers
each week. Flowers can be given as a
memorial or in honor of those special people in your life. The
cost for flowers is $25. On
the first Sunday of each month, flowers will be distributed to our shut-ins
unless other arrangements have been made.
Other Sundays, the donors may pick them up after the 6:30 p.m. service. Sign up early to reserve the dates that are
special to you.
Lutheran Tour
Lutheran
Heritage Tour
To
Pastor Vought is working with the
† † † † †
Devotional booklets for
January–March
2007
are
available in the Narthex.
† † † † †
Faith
Formation & Youth
There is
Sunday school today. Pre-K through 4th grade will meet
in the Nave as usual and then all gather in the MAC for a story, singing and
special craft. All other classes will
meet in their regular classrooms.
There will be Sunday school next Sunday December 31. Classes will
meet at their regular time and in their regular classrooms. Hope to see you on Sunday morning.
J Crew News
Summer
Workcamp
Please
remember to turn in your deposit for the
Tri-Cities summer workcamp mission trip this coming July. All
deposits must be turned in to Karen Thomsen next Sunday December 31 if you want to be part
of this wonderful faith forming experience.
For more information, please
contact Karen Thomsen (828-2808).
Divorce Care
Muhlenberg is starting a new support group for those
who are divorced or separated. The
support group will start with a day retreat on Saturday, February 24,
2007. The retreat will be held at
Marriage
Enrichment
Muhlenberg is starting a new program for those
interested in enriching their marriage commitment. This ministry will begin with a retreat. If you are interested in being part of this
opportunity to grow in your commitment to each other, please signup on the list
posted in the hall across from the office.
For more information, please
contact Patrick or Sonnie Robertson (867-5049) or e-mail at parsmo@yahoo.com.
The
Fellowship Time
…
…Every Sunday morning, 10:35-10:55
in the MAC. The host
group for December 31st is the
Weekly
Health Report
A full Health
Report is printed monthly in The Red
Door and posted on the church bulletin board.
Doing Better
& Removed from List:
Jordan Parmeter
Mourning the
Loss of a Loved One:
Joan Strickler
If you desire
a visit in the hospital or to be placed on the prayer chain, please be sure to
call the church office.
Weekly
Report
December 17,
2006
Attendance:
8:00 Worship 110 Wed.
Noon: 13
9:30 Worship 113
11:00 Worship 189
6:30 Worship 18
Total 430
Total
Regular Offering: $9,019.80
Designated
Receipts:
Capital Campaign II...... $ 30,959.82
Year-end Capital Campaign Gift $141.00
In Honor of Don Smith.. $ 150.00
Special Offerings............ $ 71.00
Use of Church Building/MAC $75.00
Miscellaneous Income.... $ 5.00
Heatwole Trust Income.. $ 732.67
World Hunger................ $ 25.00
Sunday School:
People Helping People... $ 5.00
Music Program.............. $ 20.00
GRAND TOTAL.......... $ 41,247.29
“BUILDING THE DREAM”
Thanks to
God and the generous stewardship of the Muhlenberg Family, all outstanding debt
on the MAC, church renovations, and Garber property has been covered! All gifts received now go towards building
our new Gathering Area.
Total
received for the Gathering Area:
$97,351.82
Daily Devotions
“Praying Our Faith Together!”
For use by individuals and families at home, at the
office, at mealtimes, over that morning cup of coffee or before bedtime. Scripture citations taken from the Three-Year
Daily Lectionary in the new ELW, pages 1121 to 1153, (Year C).
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
(The Apostle’s Creed)
Mon. John 1:1-14
Tues. Acts 6:1-7; 7:51-60
Wed. John 21:19-24
Thu. Revelation 21:1-7
Fri. 1Corinthians 3:10-17
Sat. Mark 13:32-37
Sun. Luke 2:41-52
Weekly
Calendar
December 25— December 31
Mon.
Christmas Day
4:00 pm Holy Communion
Tues. 6:15 pm Folk Choir
6:30 pm EFM
7:00 pm 8:00 a.m. Choir Rehearsal
Wed. 7:30 am Bible Study
10:00 am Staff Meeting
12:00 noon Holy Communion
6:15 pm Faith
@ Work
6:30 pm Muhlenberg
Ringers
6:30 pm Children’s
Choir
7:30 pm 11:00
a.m. Choir Rehearsal
Thurs. 5:30 pm Partners in Prayer
7:30 pm Teen
Choir
Sun. New Year’s Eve
8:00 am Holy
Communion
9:30 am Holy
Communion
11:00 am Holy Communion
6:30 pm Holy
Communion
First Night